The Hidden World
by RedMyst
Summary: After a dramatic encounter with an otherworldly force, Tommy finds himself struggling to solve the mysteries of his family's past, and stay one step ahead of a supernatural killer.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Hidden World

Author: RedMyst

Rating: M – Nudity/Language/Violence

Spoilers: MMPR and MMPR: DT, MMPR: ITPOTS

Summary: After a dramatic encounter with an otherworldly force, Tommy finds himself struggling to solve the mysteries of his family's past, and stay one step ahead of a supernatural killer.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Author's Note: MMPR: AU is back! My Beta and I have been working on this series for nearly a month now, continuing the virtual season started by ITPOTS. Last time, we laid a lot of groundwork, and purposely left a lot of unanswered questions. This 'season' we're going to try to wrap some of those up, while creating more, and even dropping in some sneak-previews of _MMPR: AEON_. Our 'guest stars' will also return, along with several new faces that will play key roles in the coming story arcs. On that note, Patricia Tallman is Det. Angela Richards, and is replacing Kim Rhodes as Mystery Woman #1. We went with Irene Bedard for Nancy Red Eagle. In the meantime, check out THW, and as always feed the feedback monster.

_August 29__th__, 2011_

"…_heavenly shades of night are falling, it's twilight time…"_

_Ret. Detective Angela Richards tucked the fine strands of stray red hair behind her ear, and nodded at the young patrolman as he cruised by her house. A former member of the Tucson Police Department, the slim fifty-eight year old was enjoying early retirement. Her husband of six years was on his way home, a chilled bottle of wine waited for his company, along with a light dinner. She was passing the time by sitting on her porch, smoking, and watching the maze of headlights play through the darkened streets of her neighborhood. _

_Through the cracked windows of her living room, she could hear the smooth baritone of The Platters drifting out of the speakers of her CD player. The oldie bought back memories of the summer of '53, when she was living in Indiana, and heard the song for the first time. At the time, it triggered some off-color remarks from several bigoted teens, but for her it created a deep yearning. Farmland U.S.A. bored her, but the idea of living in a prehistoric ocean bed thrilled her. In 1954, she moved to the desert, and had been there since. While the sentiment was thoroughly human, she agreed that life was simpler, more innocent in that era. Humans were just starting to take their first steps out of the cradle, visiting their moon, and spacemen were the stuff of pulp fiction novels._

_Who knew that in less than fifty years, the third rock from the sun would garner the full attention of the Alliance? True, they couldn't have remained anonymous forever. After all, the small blue planet was a popular penal colony for refugees and political dissidents. No one cared to give it much thought with the extreme climate, unpredictable geology, and savage locals. The human population was plenty of reason to steer clear, but as they evolved other forces began to take notice. Now, something that had no place on the blackwater planet was crawling through the streets._

_Most of the desert metropolis' citizens were observing the curfew, to the point of almost barricading themselves in their apartments and homes. Personally, she didn't blame them. Although it had been twenty-seven years since the Red Coyote Murders, the grisly summer was still fresh on everyone's mind – including hers. She knew, after storming the upper bedroom of the Red Eagle house, that the Inner Circle was back. Her long fingers instinctively toying with the butt of the .45 tucked into the holster under her arm. After what she saw that night in '84, she never went anywhere unarmed, and never fired anything that didn't contain amalgam. _

_That simple blend of mercury and silver was the only thing that could hurt a Skinwalker, if not kill it outright. That night, Nancy pumped one of the special bullets into the back of her husband's skull, before the events that took her life. In the long shadows of autumn twilight, Richards could see the late detective lying face-down in the charred circle on the floor. It wasn't something she liked to think about, at least not when she was sitting outside, alone, on her front porch. _

_Given what happened to Cochran, she wasn't too keen on taking any chances with her safety. So far, there were three victims, all connected in some way, shape, or form to the Red Coyote case. Knowing what was at stake, she was disinclined to become the fourth. Drumming out her cigarette, she headed into her house, and bolted the door. Turning out the lights as she went, she made her way to the living room, where she helped herself to some of the wine. Richards knew it was only a matter of time before Zack contacted her. The FBI agent was close, the only thing he lacked was the information removed from the police archive. At the moment, it was holed up somewhere in the bowels of the U.S. Postal Service, but when it finally arrived in Tommy and Erica's mailbox all bets were off._

_Settling herself onto the long white leather couch dominating the large room, she looked around the cavernous interior of her home. Despite two divorces, she'd fared well in her life. Each time, she'd wed a man with a decent income, and heralding from the well-paid mediocrity of corporate America. Angela smiled, her thin lips pursing thoughtfully as she mulled over that word in her mind – mediocrity. It was what she wanted, what she needed when her day job required back-alley take-downs, and drug busts that came at too high of a cost. The one she was on in '88 left four good men dead, and two .38 slugs imbedded in her left shoulder. The shrapnel serving as a reminder for the other reason she craved mediocrity – her Shaa'drick heritage. _

_Earth was home to over 1.2 billion nonhumans, with her race making up the bulk of that number. Of all the Colonists, her people had lived on the blackwater planet the longest. To them, Earth was home, and as annoying as humans could be with their evolutionary childishness the Shaa'drick enjoyed them. Therefore, it came as no surprise that some of her species had developed a preference for human mates. Although, it was difficult to maintain intimate relationships with them once they learned of the Shaa'drick's extensive lifespan._

_Richards would see a full eight centuries of life, before death came knocking at her door. When her first two husbands learned the truth, they had left. Shaking her head, Angela popped the cork on the wine, and poured herself another glass. According to the clock, she had another fifteen minutes before Gary walked through the door. Unlike his predecessors, her third husband was able to deal with the baggage of marrying a police woman, and a nonhuman one at that. If she had to work long hours, a foil-covered dinner waited for her on the table. When the phone rang, he opted to answer the call with optimism, instead of dread. On the nights when she was busy poring over gory photographs, he would make her coffee, and tell painfully bad jokes about morticians. _

_His support was one of the many reasons why she loved him. After nearly three centuries of life, she was feeling nostalgic. Reminders of past relationships adorned the mantle above the fireplace. Most were images of close friends and family, but the rest were of her. Taking a breath, she drained the glass, and then rose to get a closer look at the carefully preserved image of Nancy Red Eagle._

_Human or not, the Navajo law enforcement officer was a beautiful woman. The ghosts of her children were evident in her deceptively plain features, dark eyes, and inky black hair. The picture had been taken shortly after her promotion to detective. Her slim frame wrapped in the navy blue fabric of her dress uniform, and held up with a quiet integrity. The quality of her character was the reason why Richards wasn't surprised that the other woman's name was on two parks, several buildings, and a variety of streets, schools, and neighborhoods. In death, Nancy Red Eagle was the poster child for preventing domestic violence in Tucson, and it pained Angela to think that the woman smiling back at her died at the hands of an abomination._

_Setting down the picture with a bang, she washed down the bitterness rising in the back of her throat with another glass of wine. There was something fitting about the song playing in the background, The Platters serenading the night with their homage to love and twilight. It almost obscured the utter irony of the situation, the fact that in the end the good guys hadn't won. Nancy was dead, the Inner Circle had survived, and in '96 they tried to finish what they started in '84. _

_Because of Zack, she knew what they did her to her youngest, her baby, infecting him with one of those things. Thankfully, their medicine was taking care of the infection, but not fast enough. Sure, the arrival of the Warstar had bought them some time, taking the Inner Circle by surprise, but it wouldn't last. Gosei was no Zordon, more of a politician than anything else, and She'bana was nowhere to be found. Rumor had it she was in the sealed temple at the bottom of the canyon outside of Window Rock, but unless Zordon re-coalesced from wherever the hell he'd been dispersed there was no way of knowing for sure. _

_For the time being, Earth, humanity, and their Shaa'drick neighbors were on their own._

_However, like humans, Shaa'drick had an incredible will to live, and an unwillingness to give up even when death was imminent. Richards was a still alive, still breathing, and was one of only five people left who knew what happened twenty-seven years ago. The other three had already been picked off by the Inner Circle, but not before taking great pains to preserve what they knew. The information they had removed from the police archive, was safe, and a member of the Circle was dead. Angela had no idea what interest the Others had in the Oliver siblings, but it had kept her alive._

_Now that they knew what was at play, the situation would escalate. Her eyes and ears in the department had confirmed her worst fears, the victims killed in the same manner as the ones in '84. That meant everything was on a time crunch, five more bodies, and the Inner Circle would have enough power to enact their deadly Plan. Richards knew of Tommy and Erica's connection to The Power, and that the other rangers were aware of the forces at play. However, it was anyone's guess if they actually appreciated what was at stake._

"_Leave it to Zordon to trust a bunch of kids with the fate of the free world." Peering through the blinds, she checked the driveway. Gary would be home any minute. Setting down the wine, she dashed for the bedroom, grabbing a box of matches on the way. Once inside, she popped one of the tiny wooden sticks into life, and lit one of the tall red candles surrounding the king sized bed in the center of the room. The tiny yellow flame had just flared into life, when the hairs rose on the back of her neck, and the spark burned down into a blue cone._

_She knew, without even turning around, that something else was in the room. Short-range telepathy was one of the gifts of her race, but she didn't dare scan whatever it was. Ten times out of ten, it was a catalyst for being attacked by the creatures that preyed on her species. Setting down the box, she stretched, and casually reached for the .45 in the holster under her arm. Blessed with excellent night vision, she looked past the faint glow of the nearby window, and focused on the closet. An insect-like clicking noise was coming from just behind the half-open doors. _

_Disinterested in the fallibility of matches, she reached for her lighter, and rolled the striker. Immediately, a column of fire shot up, revealing a grotesque and misshapen beast hunched under the heavy oak ribs of the ceiling. It's long, snake-liked neck whipping around to reveal the grinning mask of a twisted face. Screaming, Angela dropped the lighter, the thin black tube's descent slowed by the thick spray of blood that stained the four walls red. The click of its landing drowned out by screams, then the sharp crack of blue fire._

"_Yoo'i…!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Hidden World

Author: RedMyst

Rating: M – Nudity/Language/Violence

Spoilers: MMPR and MMPR: DT, MMPR: ITPOTS

Summary: After a dramatic encounter with an otherworldly force, Tommy finds himself struggling to solve the mysteries of his family's past, and stay one step ahead of a supernatural killer.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Author's Note: When we left 'In the Path of the Skinwalker', Zack encountered the blue-eyed Shaa'drick who appeared to Billy. What happened that night, and why was she there? Alison Mack is back to answer these questions, and give us a look into the world of the Shaa'drick. Tommy will be back in Chapter Three, and remember, feed the feedback monster.

_August 27__th__, 2011_

"Would you like anything else?" Zack waited as the alien woman finished off the array of fruits and vegetables covering her plate. They were seated on the floor of his living room, watching the sun rise above the mountain ridge, and turn the valley gold. It was hard to believe that only thirty minutes ago, when she first appeared on his deck, Zack tried to kill her. A clip-full of amalgam-laced bullets leveled at her chest, while he demanded to know who she was, what she was, and just what the hell she was doing on his porch.

In that order, she had answered him – her name was Marana, and she was there on behalf of The Elders – the ruling council of the Outlanders. Apparently, the situation with Tommy had changed, and she was there to debrief him. If the FBI agent had to guess, she knew something about the younger man's bizarre transformation. Zack was one of the first people to get a look at their teammate, less than an hour after Erica admitted him to the hospital.

At the time, Jason was trying to stabilize him. The gold ranger's career in medicine was one of the few _good_ things that came out of that night in Florida. Because of the DOD, he had been able to pursue studies in Shaa'drick physiology, and was one of only three human physicians certified to treat them. What happened to Tommy should have occurred over a two-week period, not overnight, and it should have killed him. Instead, his body had adjusted to compensate, and the reason became obvious when Jason rolled the paleontologist over on his side.

On the back of his neck was an incision starting at the hairline of his nape, and ending just above the center of his back. It was still open when Erica bought him it, but it hadn't bled, and closed on its own. Someone or something had surgically removed the dying parasite, and then accelerated his metabolic process to force him into a regeneration cycle. By the time he regained consciousness, Tommy would literally be a new man, but what caused it and why? Hopefully, the answer to those questions was sitting in front of him, finishing off a piece of asparagus.

"No, I'm good." Marana handed Zack her plate, her mouth turning down at the corners as he retrieved his own breakfast. Two strips of uneaten bacon lay atop a piece of dark toast, next to the butt of a sausage. Based on her expression, the smell was making her queasy. Shaa'drick had scent receptors that enabled them to detect whether or not something was toxic, medicinal, nutritional, or neutral. Judging by the look on her face, it was the first one.

"So, why are you here? I'm pretty sure you didn't come all this way, just to try some leftover food from a party tray."

"You're right, I didn't." The slight pressure above his eyes told him that she was scanning his mind. At close-ranger, her species were excellent telepaths, and it explained why he hadn't heard her approach. Able to manipulate his senses and natural blind spot, it was possible she'd been standing next to him all night. It wasn't unheard of for Outlanders to watch the private thoughts of others, sharing them as part of a bizarre nighttime ritual where they would gather, and listen to human dreams.

"I'm not a Dream-walker," said Marana, smiling at his shocked expression. Apparently, she had been listening to his internal dialogue. "I'm what they call a Fast-walker; I can resist a telepathic attack by a Skinwalker." Which meant she was a long-range telepath, and capable of detecting the creatures long before they were aware of her presence. However, it didn't negate the fact that Zack liked keeping his thoughts to himself.

"Yeah, well from now on use your words."

"Noted, however, if we're going to talk shop, I want to make sure that you're you." Rummaging in the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a small metal rod. Zack recognized the device as a handheld medical scanner.

"You can't be serious?"

"I have my orders."

"So do I, and getting probed in my living room isn't part of the deal." The FBI agent had seen Jason use the device on Tommy, and knew that it could be inserted – albeit painlessly – in every orifice available. Rolling her eyes, Marana muttered something under her breath.

"I'm not going to put it in your butt, just on the back of your neck."

"I'm not infected –"

"Which is what I am here to verify," Marana fished a data slip out of her jacked, and handed it to the federal agent. "Read it for yourself. I will be conducting exams on the others as well." Zack tapped the tiny orange triangle at the edge of the slip, and scanned its translucent surface. The official seals of the two ruling councils of Shaa'drick society – The Body and The Elders – popped up on the screen.

"Why weren't we told that your governments were united on this?" When the Ae'Shir reincarnated as the Shaa'drick, their society underwent a major schism that gave rise to two distinct factions. The first one, the Technocrats, observed a philosophy and way of life based on a fusion of religion and science. Their underground complexes were marvels of architectural engineering, and sported technology housed in an ultra-modern aesthetic. Their cousins the Outlanders, on the other hand, were wholly different.

"I know, _you_ weren't told," crowed Marana, shuffling the rod between her hands. "Your core command, however, was."

"Why?" Marana waved the scanner in front of his face. Up close, Zack could smell wood smoke and marijuana on her coat, and stale beer on her breath. Likely, she had been at some house show before leaving to complete her mission. The girl could easily fit in with the youth roaming the local campuses, or occupying the arts district, and do so as either a human or an alien. Unlike their urban cousins, Outlanders were the most widely recognized and accepted members of their race. This was especially true amongst aboriginal peoples, and counterculture societies.

Handing back the data slip, Zack studied his unusual guest as he turned the communiqué over in his mind. Effectively immediately, he was to submit to a spinal scan to rule out possible Infection. "What about my wife, are you going to scan her too?"

"My partner completed their assessment twenty minutes ago, she's clear." Immediately, Zack felt a surge of anger in his chest. "There were others in my house?"

"Yes, did you think I came alone?" Zack quickly closed the gap between them, stopping short when the air began to reek of ozone. When a Shaa'drick was threatened, they emitted a powerful bioelectric field, much like an electric eel. With only an inch between them, if he so much as twitched she could burn him to a crisp with little or no damage to herself. Personally, he didn't care - home invasion wasn't part of the deal either.

"I don't appreciate having people roaming around my house without my knowledge."

"At this point, we can't take any chances."

"The ends don't justify the means," spat Zack. "Look, do your damn scan, tell me what you know, and then get out." Rolling her eyes, Marana walked over, and held the scanner above the back of his neck. Even with her human façade firmly in place, it was difficult to guess her age. Ignoring the awkwardness of their close proximity, she switched on the device, and ran it down the length of his spine.

"You'll feel a slight pressure when it starts imaging the bone," Marana held the wand so that it was parallel with the base of his skull, and ran it up and down the flat plane of his back. A dull click told him that the scan was complete, Marana bringing the tool around to read the thin blue display on its side.

"Well, do I have a worm in my brain, or not?"

"No," Marana pocketed the scanner, and retrieved the discarded data slip. "I apologize for the intrusion, but we had our reasons. Within the last eighteen hours, the situation has gone critical."

"If that were the case, Jason would have told us. I highly doubt he would have taken orders from either of your governments, and kept the rest of us in the dark."

"Doubt away, but he did, and with good reason."

"Oh yeah, and what reason was that?"

"Twenty-four hours ago, hyper-normal forces subjected your friend to an unknown medical procedure, and exactly six hours after that a motive for that intervention revealed itself."

"Do you know who was responsible?"

"No, but we believe the reason why this event occurred was to prevent the Circle from activating the parasite, and overriding the Purge before it was complete."

"How would they even know? We're the only ones who know that he's been treated."

"Not necessarily," said Marana. "One of you has been compromised."


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Hidden World

Author: RedMyst

Rating: M – Nudity/Language/Violence

Spoilers: MMPR and MMPR: DT, MMPR: ITPOTS, MMPR: SPD, MMPR: TF

Summary: After a dramatic encounter with an otherworldly force, Tommy finds himself struggling to solve the mysteries of his family's past, and stay one step ahead of a supernatural killer.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Author's Note: So its official, Jason David Frank will be back as part of the twenty-year anniversary of the MMPR franchise for the Great War mentioned in MMPR: Mega Force. My Beta and I are still trying to figure out how to work that into this story, to keep up with the storyline that's in cannon. In the meantime, we're going to lay the cards out on the table. You won't believe the things we have in store for this installment of the MMPR:AU series. Remember, feed the feedback monster.

_August 31__st__, 2011_

_I can't believe he lost sixty-two pounds._

Jason Lee Scott rolled the number around in his mind, as he pulled to a stop at an intersection. It was just after three a.m., the physician burning the midnight oil after some pranksters crashed an all-night party. A couple of freshmen from the local campuses had rented a building in the industrial district, with plans for an all-night beer fest until seven a.m. Their reasoning lay in an attempt to circumvent the city-wide curfew that went into effect after the last murder. For the last several weeks, Tucson had been plagued by a series of bizarre deaths. The victims dismembered by a powerful force, with the last one killed less than fifty feet from the front doors of his firm.

To avoid a panic, the mayor had enacted the ban. Every citizen was expected to be indoors at ten o'clock, with the exception of law enforcement, emergency personnel, and civilians working the night shift. Unfortunately, rowdy college kids and curfews were almost always a bad combo. It was the ultimate rebellion, and they probably would have pulled it off were it not for two boys in cheap monster suits. Normally, Jason would have felt sorry for them. The older man was no stranger to campus tomfoolery, but it took a special kind of stupid to ignore the tension hanging over the city.

Tucson had a history of high strangeness on par with Phoenix, and the arrival of the Warstar had put everyone on edge. People were afraid. As a result nearly thirty kids had been injured, and the youths responsible were both in the ICU fighting for their lives. Pulling through the intersection, Jason wondered how they were going to keep a handle on the situation with Tommy, especially after the events from the last several days. Local kooks were blaming the deaths on a new form of bioloid, and law enforcement laughingstock Sheriff Joe Arpaio was telling people to arm themselves. To make matters worse, he had formed a posse, and was peppering the streets with pictures of poorly-drawn monsters above the words –

SHOOT FIRST SURVIVE LATER

People like him made Jason nervous because they were incapable of accepting the reality that not all aliens wanted to rape the planet, and enslave humanity. Turning his thoughts back to the situation with the Circle, he mentally reviewed the press conference held by the joint brass of the FBI and Tucson Police Department. It was now common knowledge that the homicidal maniac ripping people apart was following the same MO as Joseph Red Eagle back in 1984. The agencies had opted to release details of their investigation, after a meeting with representatives from the Navajo and Shaa'drick nations. Citizens learned that the killings were the work of a cult, and that Joseph was one of its members.

To make matters worse, someone was going around town, and vandalizing effigies of Nancy Red Eagle. The late detective had died a hero, and was immortalized in numerous statues, streets, parks, and buildings. Bronze plaques spelled out her life and death, and yet only six remained. Even her headstone had been defaced. Driving through the empty streets, Jason wondered if that was one of the reasons why the Shaa'drick had decided to take a more hands-on approach.

For the last fifteen years, they had been content to let the rangers handle their malevolent cousins on their own. Whatever help they received came from the Outlanders alone, with the Technocrats offering medical expertise only, and that had dwindled after the passing of Zordon. Yet, something had necessitated the collaboration, and Jason wondered if their decision had something to do with whatever the hell happened to Tommy. An unknown force had abducted the younger man from his house, and removed the alien parasite imbedded in the back of his skull. To top it off, his body had been forced into a regeneration cycle.

When gravely injured or ill, an otherwise healthy Shaa'drick would slip into an altered state of consciousness while their bodies repaired any damage or infection. It left them extraordinarily weak since the process included high fevers, accelerated heart rates, and an increase in their metabolism. However, Tommy was _not_ a healthy Shaa'drick, and what happened to him should have killed him. The biochemical process used in treating the Infected required two weeks to complete, yet it had been done overnight. The gold ranger was sure that if Tommy and Erica's brother David was still alive, he would have had an answer. The older man had an unusual habit of sharing intimate knowledge about his people, and without him Jason was at a loss when trying to explain what had happened to his best friend.

There was evidence of intravenous therapy in the major veins around Tommy's heart, and a sophisticated form of dialysis in the corresponding arteries. Scans revealed mineral deposits around his major joints from some kind of intraosseous infusion, and the blue liquid he vomited up turned out to be a modified nutrient gel. It was obvious that whatever took Tommy did so with the intent of hastening his recovery, but why?

Some other factor was at play, until 1984, very few outsiders knew of the existence of the Skinwalker. The Navajo had refused to discuss them publicly for fear of retribution, and with good reason. The survival of a Dark Shaa'drick depended on avoiding discovery, and each of the recent murder victims were connected to the case back in'84. The Inner Circle was going to great lengths to destroy any evidence that could reveal their presence, which meant were up to something big. Scrubbing his face with his hands, Jason coasted to a stop at another intersection, and studied his tired reflection in the rearview mirror.

_When did I get so comfortable with all of this? _Tommy and Erica Marie Oliver were not human beings. They were fifth-generation alien Colonists, and the only members of their race to survive a Skinwalker initiation rite. It made them targets and outcasts, and the last fifteen years had robbed them of what little joy they once had. The same was true for their friends, and Jason wondered if there was ever going to be a time when he wasn't looking over his shoulder. True, he could have walked away the day he woke up in the ICU, and had wanted to up until that night in Florida. Holding a sobbing Erica while a solemn-faced technician informed her that her still-infected brother could die from the re-growth had changed that. In that moment, the people whom the Navajo and Hopi called 'star elders' became human, and Jason started to understand the complicated world they lived in.

What most people didn't know was that the Shaa'drick was a joined species. At some point, their ancestral races had co-evolved with a sentient flora. Before transforming into a massive, prehensile beast reminiscent of an acacia three, the organism started its life as a larva that formed a symbiotic relationship with its Shaa'drick host. Not all of them carried the worm, but those who did were usually benign, with personalities just as varied and quirky as their invertebrate companions.

That obscure fact was the hidden truth behind their ancestors' genocidal war. The larva of the Dark Shaa'drick were unnatural, a marvel of genetic engineering, and consummate evil. Possession of a host happened either by force or choice, although in the case of the latter the results were something out of a nightmare – a true Skinwalker. However, when the victim was taken against their will, the parasite had to break their minds in order to gain complete control. This was usually accomplished by manipulating the host to kill a close family member or loved one. Otherwise, the infected Shaa'drick would continue to resist until the physiological stress killed them.

Jason was sure that if he hadn't cut the majority of the centipede-like creature out of Tommy's neck that night, he would have died, and by his own hand. Thankfully, that problem had been solved by their mysterious benefactor, freeing the rangers to focus on getting the black Dino ranger through the rest of his recovery. If he were honest with himself, that was the part that worried him the most, even more than the Circle. For the last fifteen years everyone he trusted, including his own family, had lied to Tommy. It didn't take a rocket scientist figure out that the return of his memory would result in a massive shit storm. Frankly, Jason wanted to be anywhere but the remote ranch when it happened, but that would only worsen his issues with Erica.

Several years ago, while Tommy was still laid up from his crash, they had an affair. None of the others knew, not even Billy and Kim, but it hadn't been a one-time deal. Every couple of years, whenever Erica was passing through on tour, she would turn up at his door. The gold ranger knew he should have said 'no' the first time, or the second, or the third, but he hadn't. Now they were in a mess, because the minute Tommy regained his short-range telepathy Jason Lee Scott was a dead man.

Pulling up to the door of his garage, the physician waited for the motor to crank open the multi-jointed aluminum slab, and then parked his red 1998 Jeep Cherokee between the towers of plastic storage tubs. Hopefully, Tommy would be too distracted to notice the strange tension between his best friend, and older sister -

"Or, he'll figure it out, and kick the shit out of you." Erica smirked as Jason jumped a full three feet in the air. With the headlights off, the garage was pitch-black save the twin pools of blue fire that were her eyes. Ignoring the snob-nosed revolved that he'd leveled at her chest she yanked the cord for the bare bulb hanging over their heads.

"Put it away cowboy," drawled the older Oliver, blowing a cloud of pot smoke in his face. "You know what they say about premature execution."

"Could you not do that in my house?"

"We're in the garage."

"Can you not do that in my garage?" Erica drummed out the blunt, while Jason popped the safety on his gun. "It's bad enough your people bought it here, I don't need the munchies at four a.m."

"What can I say? We like to share the good things in life. Also, you might want to get some more sour cream potato chips."

"Are you serious?" Grumbling under his breath, the physician pushed past her, and strode into his living room. "One of these days, I'm going to find a security system that works."

"Good luck with that, you seem to forget, I can generate an EM pulse at will."

"Is there a reason you're here?" Jason groused, ignoring her as he turned, and stripped off his wrinkled scrubs. "I thought you were spending the night at the hospital with your brother."

"I was, until Conner and Ethan showed up. Two hours in, I figured hanging out with you sounded a lot better than double homicide."

"They were that bad, huh?" Jason headed down the hall to his bedroom, trying and failing to figure out what to say to Erica. It was obvious she had been listening to his thoughts, the older man kicking himself for forgetting that she was a long-range telepath. Even though he'd decided to talk to her about their on-again-off-again sex buddy status, he couldn't come up with anything to say. Taking off his shoes, he plugged his cell phone into the charger, and then sat down on the end of his bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Erica as she followed him into the room, and tossed her empty chip bag in the trash.

_Damnit Scott, think! _Jason thought desperately. _I can come up with a plan on the fly, I used to be a Power Ranger; I've done it before. This is go-time. I have to come up with something to say before –_

"My brother figures out you've been banging his sister."

"Something like that, and - hey quit reading my mind!" Erica smirked from her perch on the dresser. "I'm glad you think this shit is funny."

"I don't _think_, I _know_. Especially, since you seem to be forgetting about the two-day rape and torture marathon topped with a mouthful of wiggling parasite." The two rangers stared at each other in the darkness. Jason tried not to think about the circumstances leading up to Tommy's infection, and reminding him only worked to irritate him further.

"I haven't forgotten," said the gold ranger, crawling into bed, and hitching himself up on his elbows. "It's why we need to figure things out. Tommy is going to need us, all of us, to get through this."

"I know, but maybe I have needs too."

"I'm not just a warm body."

"Is that what you think?"

"I don't know, your race mates for life. Is there something more to what we have going on, or are you the first Shaa'drick in the history of your race capable of having recreational sex?"

"You're human. It's different with your kind."

"Not from what I read."

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

"Well maybe I just want someone to be there, besides my damned brother, and maybe I want that someone to be a person I can share my body and thoughts with."

"Last I checked, the only one doing any 'sharing' is me."

"Oh, you're so full of shit."

"Am I?" Erica took a few steps away from the dresser, and relit her blunt. Taking a long draw, she sat down on the edge of the bed, and stared at Jason expectantly.

"What do you want me to say? You knew what I was, when you dropped your pants."

"Hey, don't blame this on me."

"Oh, I am blaming you. Besides, if you hadn't let him leave by himself we wouldn't be in this mess."

Jason exhaled sharply. "How was _I _supposed to know the Circle was going to take your brother?"

"Dude, they were killing people like flies! They shot your old man in broad daylight, right in front of you. Are you kidding me?"

"Well what the fuck, Erica?" Jason stared at the alien woman in disbelief. "We were in the middle of fucking nowhere, in a fucking swamp. You think I don't feel guilty? He's my best fucking friend!"

"Not the impression I got, when you were trying to tap Kim." Her tone was so matter-of-fact that it took a second for her comment to sink in.

"I was seventeen Erica," snapped Jason. "I made a bad call, and I almost got someone I care about killed. What else do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, how about telling me how you actually feel?"

"You're a fucking telepath!"

"That doesn't mean I don't like to hear words that fucking mean something." The two of them jumped as the bulb of a nearby lamp exploded. "Also, you might need to buy some new lights."

Banging his head against the wall, Jason stared at Erica who grinned at him sheepishly. The fact that she could crack a joke while in the middle of a bad situation was one of the things he liked about her. When everything happened with Tommy, he hadn't realized how much he would miss confiding in her until it was no longer an option.

"We can't keep doing this Erica."

"I know."

"Do you want to quit me?"

"Do you?"

"Not really, but this can't keep going on like this," said Jason softly. "It's not working."

"I know, but to be honest I don't know what to do."

"You think we made a mistake?" Loneliness or rather the fear of being alone was what had bought them together that night. What kept them together was the unknown behind their strange limbo.

"Who the hell knows," sighed Erica. "Life has been nothing but crazy these last fifteen years. What about you?"

"I'm not sorry it happened, and I don't regret being with you all these years."

"Me neither," said Erica, around a yawn. "Are you going to scoot over?"

"Sure." Jason moved over, so she could lie down. Wriggling out of her clothes, Erica crawled under the sheets, and curled into a ball.

"Do you ever blame me?" she asked softly.

"Kind of…" Erica sat up as it she'd just been hit with an energy blast from the Megazord.

"_You _blame _me_ for _this_?"

"Well yeah, your brother is going to kick my ass when he finds out I've been humping his sister."

"You are such a chicken shit!"

"The man is a psycho! He threw Bulk down a hallway!"

"We all threw Bulk down a hallway, and besides didn't you just kick _his_ ass?"

"Yeah, but he was sick."

"Oh for crying out loud," hissed Erica. "If you're so damn worried, go hide out with Justin in Utah."

"No thanks, he's even more annoying than Conner."

"Oh whatever," snapped Erica, toying with the dragon coin which she wore as a pendant around her neck. "Look, you're right, we need to figure out what _this_ is, but worrying about some hypothetical over –"

The two of them stopped cold, as their eyes zeroed in on the small circle of metal. In the low light of the bedroom, they could see a faint glow surrounding it. Popping the clasp, Erica peered at the tiny disc as the aura began to brighten.

"What the hell is it doing?"

"I have no idea," said Jason, taking it from her. Normally, it was cold no matter how long a person held it, but when he rolled it across his palm he felt a faint heat. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it had a charge. Maybe it picked up some energy from you."

"Weird, I'll have Billy take a look at – whoa!" Both rangers jumped as it flew out of her hand, and imbedded itself in the wall. Leaping out of bed, Erica ran over, and grabbed the coin. The minute her hand closed around it, something truly bizarre happened – she morphed. Jason scrambled to his feet, and yelped as his original red power suit enveloped him.

"_Rangers…"_

Crashing to the floor, Erica crawled over to Jason. Clinging to each other, they watched as the coils of white light surrounding the coin coalesced into the face of Zordon.

"Erica, are you seeing this?"

"Am I lying on the floor in my white ranger costume?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then we're seeing this."

"_Rangers…no time…you must protect…Jason…you must protect…no time…"_

"Zordon, where are you? How can we help you?"

"_No time…you must protect…no time…"_

"Protect who from what?" The image was beginning to fade, the coin rapidly losing power. "Zordon, wait!"

"_Jason…eaters of rot…close…one of you…not safe…must hurry…find Alpha 5…" _The coin hit the floor with a dull thud as the energy trails vanished into nothingness, along with their suits. For the longest time, they just sat there, trembling, as they tried to wrap their minds around what just happened.

"Are you all right?" Jason looked over at Erica, who had her arms locked around his chest. Her eyes the size of dinner plates as she stared at the empty space where Zordon had appeared.

"I think so." They both jumped as the trilling of her cell phone split the air. Swearing, she crawled across the floor, and ran her finger over the screen. "What the hell do you want Adam? I don't care. I just had the living shit scared out of me. No, it wasn't a Skinwalker…look is there a reason you called?" Jason, who was rubbing his head to make sure his helmet was really gone, watched as several different emotions ran across her face.

"Is everything all right?" Hanging up the phone, Erica slumped against the door of the closet, and gave him a loopy smile.

"My brother just woke up."


	4. Chapter 4

Title: The Hidden World

Author: RedMyst

Rating: M – Nudity/Language/Violence

Spoilers: MMPR and MMPR: DT, MMPR: ITPOTS, MMPR: SPD, MMPR: TF

Summary: After a dramatic encounter with an otherworldly force, Tommy finds himself struggling to solve the mysteries of his family's past, and stay one step ahead of a supernatural killer.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Author's Note: Patricia Tallman is back as Mystery Woman/Det. Angela Richards, and we get our next, "Who is it?" Remember, feed the feedback monster.

_August 29__th__, 2011_

_She was still alive._

_Crawling down the hallway, Det. Richards painfully dragged her beaten body across the hardwood floor. Smoke dulled her senses, and she could hear the dry taffeta sound of fire. She had burned the creature to death with her Spark. The wounded Shaa'drick thankful, that several years of soft living hadn't dulled her inborn defenses. Using the wall, she pushed herself upright, and bit back a cry of pain._

_The damned thing had tried to eat her. Looking down, she could see that both of her legs had been taken off below the knee. The index and middle fingers of her right hand were gone, along with her left thumb. A human would have died from similar injuries, but she was a Shaa'drick. With proper treatment she could re-grow her missing limbs. For that to happen she would have to survive the next five minutes._

_Already, she had the advantage. The damned thing hadn't expected her to fight back and win. The detective was tall and slight; females with her build were typically weak in their core. Richards, however, had spent the first part of her life milking cows and baling hay. It gave her the superhuman strength typical of wiry farm hands. Few survived close-quarters combat with a Skinwalker, but she had. Looking about, she turned away as a fireball engulfed the ceiling. _

_Angela had killed it the same way Nancy had killed Joseph. The compression wave created by her Spark had blown out the windows of her house. It also crushed the beast to a bloody pulp, enabling her to burn it before it could regenerate. The bodies of their mutated cousins were toxic and highly flammable. The resulting inferno was consuming everything in its path, and would do the same to her if she remained._

_Drawing in a shaky breath she forced herself to keep going. The Inner Circle would think she had died along with her assassin. The downside was that some poor bastard would disappear. Taken, either by force or choice, to replace the two sent to kill her. Fortunately, the boy, the one who was friends with the children, was watching. The FBI agent had taken steps to circumvent the Circle, and disrupt their Plan. There was talk of a press conference where the Bureau, in conjunction with the Tucson Police Department, would confirm that the recent murders were the work of a cult. Specifically, the same cult Joseph Red Eagle was involved in during the mess in '84. _

_It meant Cochran had gotten the information out before he was killed. Now, it was up to her to do the rest. Yellow flames were already raced along the narrow corridor, and she could feet heat on her pack. She needed to get out of the house. Edging along the wall, she peered around the corner. _

_The living room was empty, so was the den, but the flicker of a shadow made her pull back. Someone else was there. Pressing back into the shadows she tried to get their scent, but there was too much smoke. Frustrated, she tried to come up with a plan. Just by the tingling in her spine, she knew it would be another fifteen or twenty minutes before she could generate another Spark. The last one had completely drained her reserves, and with her injuries she could only use it at close range. In her condition there was zero chance of surviving another round of hand-to-hand with a healthy Skinwalker. Looking about, a flash of gold caught her eye. Through the acrid fog, she could see the handle to the garage door. In it were here car, and a sawed-off shotgun with hundred of amalgam-laced shells._

_Bingo!_

_Sticking to the wall like a second skin, she moved stealthily through the fading darkness. The fire was now at the den, and spreading into the living room. Adrenaline propelled her forward. If she could escape unnoticed she would be able to properly heal. Extensive injuries like hers required a regeneration cycle. It meant she would be helpless, for at least several days, and she didn't trust herself to the staff of the nearby Colonist hospital._

_The first victim, a Shaa'drick like herself, had died there under mysterious circumstances. It was so obvious, that even the human tasked with treating their kind had discerned the foul play. No, if she was going to get out of there alive, and stay that way she needed to go to the Outlanders. Inching around the stove, she had just closed her hand around the knob when a crash brought her to a standstill. _

_A loud clanging sound, like someone banging a metal pail against a stone floor rang out from the garage. Up close, she could see that the door was half-open, and through the crack she could hear the wail of sirens. The police and fire department were on their way, but she wasn't going to wait. The smoke was thick, Richards choking as she struggled for breath._

_Another bang made her jump along with the sound of rushing footsteps. The woman cowering as a large figure burst through the garage door, and into the kitchen. The fire was everywhere now, the ominous crack of beams forcing her to look up as the ceiling began to char and bow. Scooting backwards through the door, Richards watched as the intruder stumbled out of the smoke. It was a man, but very badly proportioned. His forehead was low and receding, while the rest of his face was long and narrow. Obliquely-set red eyes stared into her own, with an expression so malignant that it chilled her soul._

_Whatever it was, it wasn't human, not anymore. _

_The invading parasite had broken the man's mind, and was now in the process of mutating his body. In the flickering firelight she could see his skin bubble and pulsate. The arms thinning as they stretched down towards the floor, while the fingers bent into white claws. At the back of her mind a voice whispered that Gary should have been home by now. Out the corner of her eye she could see his car parked in the driveway. The driver side door was lying on the ground, and a trail of blood lead into the garage._

_They took him._

_Falling back through the open door, Richards was amazed she didn't break her neck. Slapping the door shut, she forced the deadbolt through the hasp. A peculiar noise, like someone flapping a feather duster hard against the slab of wood sounded from the side facing the kitchen. An inhuman howl peppered her ears, followed by more furious scratching._

_Crawling across the floor, she ignored the shock of seeing her husband turning. Yanking open the door of her car, she pulled out the shotgun, and a box of shells. Shaking, she cursed as they spilled out onto the floor, and snatched at the tumbling red tubes. Pumping several into the chamber, she screamed as a burning mass crashed through the door. _

_It was screaming. The horrid mix of human and alien overloaded her senses as she worked to steady the firearm. Killing a host taken by force was considered an act of mercy. Pressed into the corner, Richards stared wide-eyed at the creature as it flailed about. Raising the shotgun, she froze as grey eyes bored into her own_

"…_please…help me…!"_

_The first shot let her numb, the second senseless as the amalgam took effect. Like the Wicked Witch of the West, the thing melted into a pool of fire. Weak from blood loss and horror she slumped against the wall. _

_They took him._

_Blue lights danced across the walls as bodies rushed into the garage. Hands lifted her out of the corner and into something warm. Through the haze, she could see the soft white plane of a blanket, and feel the minds of others. The bodies turned into faces, and the faces became Shaa'drick. Looking up, she watched as a pair of bright orange eyes morphed into a familiar face._

_It was the lover of the boy._


	5. Chapter 5

Title: The Hidden World

Author: RedMyst

Rating: M – Nudity/Language/Violence

Spoilers: MMPR and MMPR: DT, MMPR: ITPOTS, MMPR: SPD, MMPR: TF

Summary: After a dramatic encounter with an otherworldly force, Tommy finds himself struggling to solve the mysteries of his family's past, and stay one step ahead of a supernatural killer.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Author's Note: Jennifer Blanc Bien is back as Erica Marie Oliver, and we've got Dinos!

_September 3__rd__, 2011_

"I still can't believe that Trent bailed on us."

"I still can't believe that Dr. O is some kind of spaceman."

Ethan James forced down an exasperated sigh, as he and the other Dino rangers piled out of the paleontologist's black jeep. They were on their way to the hospital to rendezvous with the other rangers, and pick up Tommy who was being released. Despite spending the last several days in a coma on life support, he was doing remarkably well. The metabolic stress affecting his cardiovascular and respiratory system had abated, and his vitals had stabilized. Once he could hold down solid food, instead of a nutritional substrate, Jason made the call to have him discharged.

"He isn't a 'spaceman'," corrected Ethan. "Dr. O and his sister are _Colonists_."

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-toe," quipped Conner, making sure they had their ID badges. "They're aliens from outer space." Due to the persistence of the paparazzi, no one was allowed near the older man unless they had proper identification. Fortunately, Cole from Wild Force had hooked them up with the necessary clearance. The other team was providing security, making sure that neither reporter nor Skinwalker got too close. Nodding at the former ranger, who was on the hospital roof with some sort of hawk, the trio made their way inside.

"Maybe several centuries ago," replied Ethan. "But their people have been here for more than fifty-thousand years."

"Yeah, that's a mind fuck. Our _great-grandchildren_ will be dead, by the time they're even middle-aged," snapped Conner. Over the last several days, Billy had filled the teens in on the specifics of Shaa'drick physiology. On average, a healthy member of their race could live up to eight centuries, and a rare handful reached a full millennium. Most of them, however, only made it to five or six-hundred years.

"How old was their mom?"

"Erica said she was born outside of Window Rock to the Turtle Clan in 1775," replied Kira.

"Which means she was two-hundred and nine when she died," finished Ethan, after doing some quick math. "Although, remember what the others said – severe illness and injury _can_ kill them."

"Yeah," said Kira. "Think of them like redwood trees. Not every baby redwood grows up to be, you know, a giant tree. Most of them get eaten, cut down, choked out, or squashed."

"I don't exactly see anyone lining up to eat Dr. O," muttered Conner. "Although, Jason _did_ say Dark Shaa'drick have been known to eat the normal ones."

"Ugh, don't remind me," said Ethan, shuddering. Weaving around a group of reporters camped out in the lobby, the teens made their way to the elevator. Punching the button for the eighth floor, the trio waited for the doors to close to resume their conversation.

"What I want to know is why this Inner Circle is after Dr. O," said Kira, staring at her reflection in the polished steel of the car. "This whole thing doesn't feel right. I still think Trent was right."

"About?"

"What he said before he left." The yellow Dino ranger was referring to their last conversation with their absent teammate. Finding out that his father was Mesogog was one thing, discovering that his mentor was a shape-shifting alien was another. Citing a desire for normalcy, Trent had bailed, but not before making one final point –

No one, not even the most deranged overlord, kept up an at-all-cost pursuit without a reason.

"Well," said Conner, taking a long breath. "He and his sister are the only members of their race to survive a transformation ritual, and if what Billy said is anything to go by they're probably after Erica more than anything else."

"That doesn't make sense," said Kira, shaking her head. "If she was so dangerous, why didn't they try to kill her outright?"

"Blue-eyed Shaa'drick are immune to the parasite, and carry the gene for long-range telepathy," Ethan remarked. "Human or not, most bad guys go for the strongest first."

"Maybe they don't see her as a threat," said Conner, with a shrug. "Nine times out of ten, the woman is neck-deep in a bottle of Jim Bean."

"I don't think booze acts on her the way it does on us," said Kira. "I've even seen that with Dr. O. I once watched him down a bottle of vodka, and give up halfway through because it made him too _hyper_."

"What?"

"I'm serious. Remember the night we ended up playing paintball in the lab until three in the morning?"

"Uh-huh."

"That was the night he was drinking. The man was literally bouncing off the walls."

"Dude, don't remind me," groaned Conner. "It was like Dr. O turned into a six-year old covered in riot gear."

"Maybe she uses it like we use coffee," mused Ethan. "I have noticed that she never sleeps, except in the daytime, and only if she has her dog."

"Probably for safety, Dr. O once told me that she's afraid of the dark."

"Gee, I wonder why," cracked Conner. "Their parents were killed right in front of them by a pack of alien Devil worshippers who stuck a mutant centipede in Dr. O's skull."

"Yeah, that could do it," said Kira, as the teens darted out of the elevator, and fanned out into the corridor. "Yet, that doesn't explain why the Circle hasn't gone after Erica."

"They might have, and we just don't know about it, but to date only her brothers have been targeted." Ethan replied, ducking around some equipment.

"Don't forget their father."

"Yeah, but he chose to turn into whatever the hell he became."

"Which was what?" Conner asked, pausing in the middle of the hallway. "These guys aren't telling us everything. I mean, it is pretty damned obvious, even to me, that Erica remembers what happened that night."

"I agree," said Ethan. "Especially, after I found this." Ducking into a nearby alcove, Ethan tugged off his backpack, and started rummaging inside.

"What is it?"

"Something that belonged to the guy their family hired to keep an eye on the ranch. They were in the shed where he used to live." A clump of pictures wrapped in a rubber band appeared in his hands. Crowding around their teammate, Conner and Kira watched as he flipped through them.

"At first, I thought the light anomalies were the result of lens flare, but then I ran them through some software, and they are an actual object." Each photograph features a series of blue and red orbs hovering around the property, and weird impressions in the fallow pastures.

"Do you know what they are?"

"Nope, but they're nowhere near the level of creepy as these." The last several images were taken inside the house, specifically, either in or around the room where Tommy and Erica's parents had died. In each of them, was a partially-formed black figure standing in the doorway, or leaning out from the wall.

"What the hell is that?"

"I don't know, but the guy nailed the door to that room shut, and probably because of this." In the last image was a shadow figure, crouched in the corner, and staring at the camera with a pair of glowing red eyes.

"Shit," Conner let out a slow breath, while Ethan stashed the images back in his bag. "Red-eyed monster running around the ranch, but no one tells us."

"I know, right?"

"Well, if the others are going to play keep-away, so are we."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, maybe we should take advantage of the fact that we now have three other teams involved."

"With three extra blues," said Kira, catching his drift. For whatever reason, blue rangers were almost always science geeks, and provided the technological advantage during combat. They were also a great resource for getting to the bottom of high strangeness. "Are you saying we should do our own investigation?"

"Yep," said Conner, with a grin. "Ethan, do you think you can swing getting another pair of eyes on those pictures?"

"Believe me, I can swing it, but what am I looking for?"

"Whatever the others aren't telling us, and the other teams. Look, Erica called in Wild Force, Ninja Storm, and Space for a reason. I want to know what that reason is. In the meantime, we're going to play it cool."

"Until…?"

"Until we get something tangible that we can use to get the rest of the story out of the others." Conner nodded at Andros, who strode by on his way to meet up with TJ. "Look, even Dr. O has pulled this stunt, and I for one am tired of being led around half-blind."

"What if we get in over our heads?"

"We have been in over our heads for a long time, now we need to even the playing field, because I am not about to end up either pulled apart, or doing my best impression of the Goa-uld."

"Dude, did you just make a Stargate reference?" Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows, and taking a step back from Conner.

"Believe it or not, jocks watch the sci-fi channel too."

"Sure."

"I'm serious, Stargate comes on before RAW." Exchanging a look, Ethan and Kira stepped out of the alcove, and waved a Cameron Watanabe who was pacing outside of Tommy's room.

"What?"

Kira smiled as Cameron walked over, and ran his iPhone over the smart box on the back of their ID badges. Behind him, Shane was lounging against the wall playing a loud game on his Nintendo DS, and sporting a fresh cast from his crash at a tryout for the X-Games.

"How are you guys this morning?"

"Good, how about you?"

"Oh, we're just fine," drawled Conner. "Any word yet on why Erica called you guys in?"

"Yeah," said Cameron, completing his scan. "Some detective that knew her biological mother went missing, something to do with the murders here in Tucson."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, you saw the news," Shane looked up from his game. "This whole thing is some kind of spaghetti mess, but you haven't heard the half of it."

"Oh, here we go," groaned the other Ninja ranger. Shane Clarke was a huge gossip, and never missed the opportunity to share a juicy tidbit.

"It's cool, we're in the dark too, so what did you hear?"

"Well," said Shane, lowering his voice. "Details are on a need-to-know basis, but rumor has it something big went down with the older teams over the last forty-eight hours. No clue, but Billy and Kim from Morphing left this morning for an emergency conference with Gosei and Mega Force."

"Really, they left?" Shane nodded. "Do you know why?"

"Nope, not a clue, but I heard Zack and Adam talking earlier, and they kept mentioning Zordon."

"Do you know why?"

"Nope, but we got the same instructions that you did."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, keep everything as normal as possible." The teens scattered as the door to Tommy's room opened, and a tired Cassie emerged along with Justin. They were heading back to Utah and Colorado respectively, but had flown down to check on the original red Turbo ranger after learning of his latest collapse. Smiling at them as they headed out, Conner grabbed the door, and waggled his eyebrows at Cameron and Shane.

"Don't worry," he purred. "When it comes to 'keeping things normal', we're experts."

Stepping into the room, the red Dino ranger gently shut the door. Tommy was lying on top of the sheets, dressed, and with his eyes closed. The teens had seen him while he was comatose, and were aware of his bizarre transformation. They had also been debriefed on his mental condition.

Following the initial removal of the parasite, Tommy had undergone a procedure that blocked neural pathways for specific memories. Not only was the incident in Florida suppressed, but his identity. Now that the creature was gone, they were starting to degrade, and the recollection of both events would prove to be the most difficult aspect of his recovery. The paleontologist was about to lose his entire worldview and concept of self, and there was no way to predict whether or not the process would be gradual or acute.

It was the main reason why everyone, including the Dinos, was on edge.

"Howdy." Tommy winced, and peered around Jason who was sliding the little white straw of the IV out of his arm. The original red ranger was officially on sabbatical from Tucson Medical Center, and would be overseeing the next phase of their leader's recovery. Pressing down on the pumping vein with a thick was of gauze, he taped it in place as the teens pulled up next to the bed.

"You made it."

"In once piece," said Conner, grinning at Jason who was unfamiliar with his, "I'm up to something" look. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, they're sending me home today."

"Is that wise?" Kira asked, running her eyes over his lean form. Tommy had changed, dramatically. Sixty-two pounds had been stripped off of his lean frame, and for the first time in fifteen years he could see without the aid of corrective lenses. Tommy Oliver was literally a new man, and it was clear he was just as uneasy about his transformation as they were.

"There's no reason to keep him," supplied Jason. "Although, there are some things I'd like to go over. First, I want you to keep off your left leg as much as possible for the rest of the week. Use the crutches if you absolutely have to get up, and wear your brace. That stunt you pulled, fighting Rocky in the middle of your driveway, made the fractures in your leg worse, and I'm worried because there is some kind of inflammation process happening that I've never seen before."

"Is it dangerous?"

"No, but it can be if we don't keep an eye on it."

"Jason, they're going back to California, shouldn't you tell this stuff to Erica?"

"Now, we tell him."

"Huh?"

"We all transferred to Macalester," said Conner cheerily. "In fact, I think I'm in your Biology 101 class."

"What?" The fatigue vanished as Tommy sat bolt-upright, Jason grabbing him as he slouched to the side from the effort. "What do you mean you all transferred to Macalester?"

"Exactly that, although right now only Trent has campus housing, so we've been holed up at the ranch with Billy, Adam, and Erica."

"No, you guys are going to some other college, far, far away from here."

"Sure, once FBI guy catches the sick freak who dragged you into a van, beat the stuffing out of you, and shot you in the butt with a needle full of roofies."

"I think the beating happened before the dragging," said Kira.

"Toe-may-toe, toe-ma-toe," quipped Conner. "Besides, it's all over the news that said freak has something to do with some axe murdering psycho from 1984, and I don't know about you, but you do have a habit of attracting crazy people who want to do bad things to you."

"Conner, I was mugged."

"By what, a mack truck covered in needles?"

"Not wanting to interrupt," said Jason, using his best command voice. "But the kid has a point, and I already gave them the green light. So did Erica."

"Was she high?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. The others are in agreement, and we even called in some of the other teams."

"Look guys, I appreciate what you are trying to do, I really do, but this doesn't concern you."

"I disagree," said Jason, folding his arms. "Your kidnapping is directly connected to the murders that have been happening. Ask Zack, the MO is the same down to the methods. All of the victims are old beat cops who used to work with your mother, your _real_ mother, and the latest just went missing after someone burnt down her house. Tommy, this is deep, and from where I'm standing you need all the help you can get right now."

"Then, you guys," said Tommy, pointing at the Dinos. "Need to go back to California."

"Why?"

"I refuse to put you in danger with this."

"Okay, so all those times you sent us to go take down a genocidal maniac with a dinosaur fetish was, what exactly?"

"Yeah, 'cause having someone try to kill you on a daily basis can really change your definition of, 'It's too dangerous'," cracked Conner, doing his best Dr. O impression.

"Conner, this is different."

"Not really, some kind of psycho is running around ripping people apart with their bare hands," retorted Ethan.

"Guys-"

"Look, is the reason you don't want us here because you think we can't handle the truth about why you left Reefside?" Ethan and Kira winced as the tell-tale signs of one of Conner's classic plots took form.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, the fact that you're into guys?" The other two Dinos cringed, while Jason burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Dude, what is wrong with you?" Ethan was staring at his teammate with a horrified look, while Kira adopted a pained expression. Everyone turning as Erica popped into the room, her blue eyes darting around the room.

"Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, Conner thinks your brother is gay." Jason responded.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Erica!"

"Look, we're not his students anymore, we're adults, so I can think we can handle knowing that Dr. O is a ho-" Whatever Conner was about to say died in his throat as Ethan dragged him out of Tommy's hospital room. Jason laughing so hard, that he almost hyperventilated as he sank to the floor.

"Oh wow," he gasped, tears running down his face. "That was a classic!"

"Jason, I swear to God the minute I am off these crutches, I am going to kick _both_ of your asses."

"Did you just say ass?" Kira glanced over her shoulder as Conner was ushered back into the room, Cameron and Ethan both shooting warning looks at him before adopting polite smiles.

"I don't know what the big deal is. I was only talking about a _hate crime_."

"Dude, drop it!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who beat up a gay Navajo dude for kicks, and a cancer patient at that." Kira banged her head against the wall, as Cameron and Ethan hauled Conner back out of the room.

"Is he always like that?" Jason asked, composing himself.

"Yes," growled Tommy. "That kid makes Rocky DeSantos look tame, and we're talking about the same guy who told my mom she had a 'nice rack'."

"You mean the jerk who tried to beat me up in your driveway?"

"Yeah," said Jason. "Although I don't think Conner could ever top the time he got drunk, morphed into his red ninja costume, and started singing 'I'm Too Sexy' before stripping it off."

"Please tell me you got that on tape."

"I plead the fifth," purred Erica. "Are you okay?" The older woman nodding at Kira, who was still sporting bruises from where Rocky had grabbed her.

"Yeah, Mr. Grumpy Pants didn't hurt me too badly, but what was his problem anyway? Is he some kind of wife-beater?"

"No, just stupid," said Jason. "Rocky tends to overreact sometimes, and this was one of them."

"Yeah, well not getting belligerent with people who just found out their science teacher was kidnapped by a bunch of goons tends to be a no-brainer."

"Like I said, he overreacts." Conner stepped back into the room, Cameron and Ethan retaining handfuls of his shirt just in case.

"Are you done?" Kira snapped, as Conner loosed himself from the other rangers. The teen straightening out his Union Jack shirt, which was his favorite.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"By the way Conner," said Erica, helping Tommy into a jacket. "Given that I live with the man, I can tell you for a fact that he isn't gay."

"That doesn't change the fact that a bunch of goons kidnapped and beat up a brown guy with cancer for shits and giggles."

"Watch your language," hissed Tommy.

"I did, I was going to say-"

"Never mind," said Erica, holding up her hand. "Besides, you said something really important."

"Oh?"

"Close the door." Shooting Cameron and Shane an apologetic look, Conner pushed the door to while Jason picked up a file that was on the tray next to the bed.

"If you guys are done tormenting my patient, I'd like to go over something before he is taken home. Not only that, I'd prefer you keep it to yourselves." Immediately, the teens were quiet. Jason scanned their faces to make sure they understood, and continued. Next time, he was going to make sure to go over their cover stories, _before _Conner opened his big mouth.

"Several nights ago, something took you out of your bedroom, and subjected you to some kind of medical procedure that I've never seen before." Opening the file, Jason took out several X-ray films, and put them up on the light board. "Hayley filled me in on what you guys know, and I filled them in on what I knew based on your last exam."

"How far has it advanced?"

"Well, when I took these last month you were just starting to go into the terminal stage." Jason took out another set, and put them up next to the first for comparison. "These are the ones I took yesterday. Tommy, there is no tumor. The damn thing is gone. There is no metastasis, no occlusion, there is no sign whatsoever that you had a growth pressing into your brainstem. For lack of a better word, whoever or whatever was behind this performed a medical miracle, because I can't even find evidence that you even had cancer without checking your old records, and looking at the films myself." Jason paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.

"Tommy, unless something happens to change this, you're going to live a very long time, and with eyesight better than what you had when we were kids. Without the tumor, there is nothing compressing your optical nerves. It's why you can see."

"Well, holy shit." Erica breathed, leaning back in her seat. "No wonder Billy was all over himself when you called him. Does he know who might have done this, and why?"

"Nope, but we owe them a debt of gratitude. I do know that whatever was done to you is the reason you are in such a weakened state, but none of my exams show that this is permanent. A week or two of bed rest, and you should be fine with the exception of your leg." Nobody said anything for a very long time, Tommy lying quietly in his sick bed as he worked to process his new prognosis.

"There has to be a mistake."

"Nope, why do you think I've had you in and out of MRIs for the last few days? The tumor really is gone."

"I don't see why we are keeping this quiet," said Ethan, after another long period of silence. "This is good news."

"I know, right?" Kira replied, looking over at Erica who was dumbfounded. "The man is going to live, why is that some kind of state secret?"

"Because of the situation in Tucson," said Jason. "We don't know who did this or why, but we do know that someone is going around town impersonating a killer that was investigated by Nancy Red Eagle in 1984."

"That is your real mother, right?" Conner asked, looking over at Erica who nodded. Tommy was quiet, the older man still in shock, but listening despite his closed eyes. "Didn't she die in the line of duty?"

"Yes, she died stopping the first killer, and now there is a second, and possibly a third, fourth, and fifth."

"These people, according to Zack, might be targeting Tommy and Erica, and I tend to agree after seeing all of this. That is where you guys come in."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Ethan, until we can rule that possibility out, we want you guys staying with Tommy and Erica while we work to create a buffer against whoever or whatever is out there."

"Are you sure that's wise? Some detective that worked with her just disappeared?"

"Disappearing doesn't mean the woman is dead, perhaps she got out of there before whatever burned her house finished the job. Either way, right now my brother is extremely vulnerable, and we need all the help we can get."

"Why not get a bodyguard or something?"

"I hate to say it, but even though there is a possible connection, all able-bodied law enforcement officers have been called in to address the situation."

"I know it sounds cruel," said Jason. "But right now, Tommy is a low priority."

"Well that sucks," snapped Conner. "Let me guess, this came from Mr. FBI himself?"

"Yes."

"Keep in mind," said Ethan. "Ranger or not, Zack is responsible for catching this guy in order to protect _everyone_ in Tucson, that, and as a federal employee I can guarantee he is withholding information and obscuring important data in order to control the reactions and perceptions of the general public. For all we know, there's a paranormal component that's being left out of avoid causing a panic."

"Ethan," said Conner slowly. "We live on a planet where aliens attack us with giant monsters, and teenagers fight them in giant robots. If there was something woo-woo about this whole mess, I think we'd have heard about it by now."

"Depends on the woo-woo."

"All right guys, enough," rasped Tommy. "It's bad enough that Billy was left unattended, in my house, with tools, ideas, free time, and Adam."

"So, you heard about the high-tech security system they installed using some kind of woo-woo alien device?"

"Alien devices are now "woo-woo"?" Kira asked, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"If you can't buy them at Wal-Mart, they are."

"Conner," everyone turned back to Tommy who looked like he was about to be sick. "Look, I just want to go home, and get my mind around all of this. Can we just go?"

"Sure," said Erica. "Especially, now that we have three kiddos willing to provide some extra oomph while your leg heals and Zack tries to hunt down Mr. Copycat Killer."

"There is no way you guys are staying at the ranch for the next few weeks."

"Why not?" Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on their former science teacher. "We're more than capable of taking care of ourselves, you, not so much. In fact, I think those were Hayley's exact words."

"Yeah, unless we suddenly get an influx of invisi-portals," cracked Ethan. "We're staying at the ranch."

"Right," said Conner. "You trained us, you know what we're capable of, those goons don't have a clue."

"Yeah, they're going to expect you to take them on, not four teenagers with attitude."

"They've got a point," said Jason, ignoring the green lasers boring into his person. "Adam, Billy, Zack, and I can give them some pointers just in case. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"


End file.
